1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bail arm reversing mechanism, and more particularly to a bail arm reversing mechanism for a fishing reel having a bail arm extending between and supported by a pair of support arms formed on a rotary frame to be oscillatable between a line winding position and a line unwinding position, and a toggle mechanism mounted in a space defined in one of the support arms for urging the bail arm to the line winding position and to the line unwinding position, the toggle mechanism having a movable distal end linked to the bail arm.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bail arm reversing mechanism of this type has been proposed by Applicants in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 1990-80108. This prior reversing mechanism includes a toggle mechanism in the form of a seesaw arm oscillatable about a pivotal axis, and a compression spring connected to one end of the seesaw arm. This one end is a movable distal end linked to a bail arm. The other end of the seesaw arm projects from a bail supporting arm to be connected to a link mechanism engageable with a contact portion formed on a reel body when a rotary frame rotates in a line winding direction. Thus, with rotation of the rotary frame, the bail arm is returned with one end of the seesaw arm to a line winding position. As evident, a seesaw arm has a pivot at an intermediate portion thereof about which end portions of the arm, extending from either side of the pivot, may rock back and forth.
In the above construction in which the toggle mechanism is in the form of a seesaw arm having one end thereof linked to the bail arm and the other end defining a control portion engageable with the contact portion, an operating force is variable with a ratio between arm lengths from the pivotal axis to the opposite ends of the seesaw arm.
It is therefore possible to reduce the operating force by increasing the arm length from the pivotal axis to the other end. However, the arm length from the pivotal axis to the one end cannot be reduced greatly but must have a certain value since that end is linked to the bail arm and requires a sufficient moving stroke for switching the bail arm. This requires a certain arm length from the pivotal axis to the other end also, which results in the seesaw arm having a considerable length. It is difficult for such a toggle mechanism to be contained in a small interior space of the support arm of the rotary frame. After all, the length of the seesaw arm is determined to provide a great operating force. Since priority is given to the consideration of installation at the price of the arm length ratio, the bail arm is switched between the two positions with unsatisfactory smoothness.